"At the door" Ticket FAQ

Tickets will be available at the door. See below for answers to the most frequently asked questions about coming to EYF without a ticket.

1. Why are advanced tickets limited? There’s no venue/event that can provide unlimited advance sales of tickets. Our event is held in a bricks and mortar venue, and as such space is finite. The absolute number, flow, and concentration of people in the building is monitored and controlled in real time by Edinburgh Corn Exchange operational managers, working closely with the security team. They have a responsibility to ensure the overall safety of visitors throughout the building and avoid the risk of overcrowding.During an event like EYF, the number of people who will actually be in the building at any given time, will fluctuate. This is because even though many people have a day or weekend ticket, they may choose to only spend a couple of hours in the festival venue perhaps because they are attending an EYF class, or have other commitments / plans.Some people simply like the certainty that an advance ticket gives – allowing flexibility to arrive later in the day. Weekend ticket holders may have a class on Thursday and only come back on Saturday to enjoy the festival. You get the idea.The actual number of visitors to EYF last year (March ’16) was more than double the number of tickets we pre-sold this year. The number of advance tickets available for advance sale reflects our cautious approach and it considers the possibility that everybody could turn up at once.We know from experience that the probability of this happening is very low, but we as organisers have a responsibility to take this remote possibility seriously. We are cautious and we want to be fair to those people who have bought a ticket already.

2. How long will it take to get in? We can’t make guarantees about the exact time on-the-door tickets will become available. Otherwise, we’d be able to sell those tickets in advance! We will split the queue (“pre-paid tickets” and “no ticket yet”) and admit groups of non-ticket holders as early as we can. This is likely from 11am, but ultimately this can only be determined on the day (Friday & Saturday) based on real-time assessment of the number of visitors in the venue..

3. Will I get in at all?We sure think so! It’s very unlikely that visitors seeking on-the-door tickets will not be admitted at all. However, we are unable to predict with certainty the numbers and phasing of arrivals , hence we are unable to guarantee access, nor can we give definitive guidance on the particular time(s) of day that will be most busy.

4. Why can’t we just issue more advance tickets? See point 1!

5. Is there a waiting list for general admission tickets? No, we don’t maintain a waiting list for tickets, but it would be very helpful if you would complete this short survey and we will share summary information based on the returns a few days before the event. The intention is to give visitors seeking an on-the-door ticket an idea of the emerging plans of other visitors who are in the same position.

6. How many people might be in the queue waiting to pay at the door? We cannot tell you. In common with previous years, it is likely there will be many others without an advance ticket, wanting to buy at the door, but we cannot predict how many that will be. This has never been a problem, but a little bit patience will be necessary.

7. When is it best to turn up? Again, this is not something we can tell you for certain, but if you want to come in the morning we don't recommend you arrive before 11am. Afternoons are always much quieter!In previous years, in common with most events of this type, the majority of visitors arrive at or within an hour of the published start time.

8. Pricing for tickets at the door The price on the door will be £12. Weekend tickets are not available at the door on Friday, simply because we must manage Saturday’s attendance in the same way as the previous day.

9. “Sharing Tickets” We will not facilitate sharing of day or weekend tickets between visitors. Every visitor will receive one wristband that must be worn to get access. We’ve seen some suggestions of that on Ravelry: sharing of tickets is not an option.

10. How will we be dealing with advance ticket sales next year? At the moment we are fully focussed on EYF 2017, but we are currently considering adding an extra day and changing a couple of things about the ticket structure. If you are subscribed to our mailing list, we will update you. You should still buy an advance ticket next year if you want to come and if you would like certainty.

Will we be moving to an XXL venue next year? No. We have no current plans to move EYF to an auction mart or similar, simply because to do so would fundamentally change the feel and nature of the festival.

We hope this information goes some way to explain what to expect in terms of access and the reasons behind limited advance sales. Not having an advance ticket is not the end of the world and you are still very likely to get in, just not necessarily first thing.